Produce Briefs...
Orange Honeydew Melon
Oval-to-round and a delicious cross between a cantaloupe and a honeydew, the very fleshy juicy orangish-yellow pulp of the orange honeydew melon is encased in a hard very yellow matching rind.
Italian Black Summer Truffles
Black summer truffles are more subtle than the winter variety. Shave truffle over cooked potatoes, toss with herbs and a shallot vinaigrette. Thinly shave truffle over scrambled eggs.
Grower
Nantes carrots are available fall through spring.
The Nantes carrot, botanical name Daucus carota, AKA Scarlet Nantes and Early Coreless carrot, is a fast maturing orange-rooted heirloom variety of carrots. There are approximately forty different carrot cultivars that fall under the Nantes variety name.
Henri Vilmorin described the Nantes carrot first in the 1885 edition of his family's famous seed catalog as having a near perfect cylindrical root with smooth skin and entirely edible near-red flesh both sweet and mild in flavor. It has maintained these culinary virtues and qualities and continues to be a Gold standard for medium sized carrots. Its most unique characteristic is that is is both rounded at the tip of the root and at the bottom. Nantes carrots are revered for their especial sweetness, crisp texture and inconspicuous core.
Nantes carrots boost the nutritional value and the flavor of soups and stews and are an indispensable, versatile and fundamental ingredients for culinary use. Young Nantes carrots are extremely sweet and tender, entirely edible and require no peeling, making them a time efficient culinary asset. Nantes carrots can be used in recipes raw, fresh and cooked. They are a quintessential salad, crudite and soup ingredient. They can eaten whole fresh, pureed into sauces, roasted and fried. Nantes carrots pair well with almonds, bacon, poultry, butter, radishes, cheeses, especially cheddar, parmesan and pecorino, cinnamon, cream, ginger, cardamon, potatoes, mushrooms, shallots, tomatoes and vinegar. Nantes carrots will keep in cool, dry storage for up to a month. Scrub thoroughly when preparing. Never store fruit along with carrots. All fruit expels ethylene gas that is readily absorbed by carrots. Carrots exposed to ethylene turn very bitter making them not suitable for eating.
Both the wild and the cultivated carrots belong to the species Daucus carota. Carrots originated over 5000 years ago in present-day Afghanistan. They were first cultivated as a purple root. Morphological characteristics lead to a division of the cultivated carrot (Daucus carota subsp. sativus) into two botanical varieties: atrorubens and sativus. The variety, atrorubens refers to carrots originating from the East, exhibiting yellow or purple storage roots and poorly indented, grey-green foliage. The variety, sativus refers to carrots originating from the West with characteristically orange, yellow or sometimes white roots, and highly indented, yellow-green foliage. Nantes can be easily identified as a Western variety. It was was developed in the 1850's by Vimorin. It is named after the city of Nantes, the largest and most important city in Brittany, France. Like all carrots, Nantes is a cool season crop that can tolerate temperate climates with average soil temperatures of 60 degrees F.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Nantes Carrots. One
is easiest, three is harder.
Recently Spotted
Someone spotted Nantes Carrots using the Specialty Produce app for iPhone and Android.
| Weiser Family Farms | Homepage |
Seasons/Availability
Nantes carrots are available fall through spring.
Current Facts
The Nantes carrot, botanical name Daucus carota, AKA Scarlet Nantes and Early Coreless carrot, is a fast maturing orange-rooted heirloom variety of carrots. There are approximately forty different carrot cultivars that fall under the Nantes variety name.
Description/Taste
Henri Vilmorin described the Nantes carrot first in the 1885 edition of his family's famous seed catalog as having a near perfect cylindrical root with smooth skin and entirely edible near-red flesh both sweet and mild in flavor. It has maintained these culinary virtues and qualities and continues to be a Gold standard for medium sized carrots. Its most unique characteristic is that is is both rounded at the tip of the root and at the bottom. Nantes carrots are revered for their especial sweetness, crisp texture and inconspicuous core.
Applications
Nantes carrots boost the nutritional value and the flavor of soups and stews and are an indispensable, versatile and fundamental ingredients for culinary use. Young Nantes carrots are extremely sweet and tender, entirely edible and require no peeling, making them a time efficient culinary asset. Nantes carrots can be used in recipes raw, fresh and cooked. They are a quintessential salad, crudite and soup ingredient. They can eaten whole fresh, pureed into sauces, roasted and fried. Nantes carrots pair well with almonds, bacon, poultry, butter, radishes, cheeses, especially cheddar, parmesan and pecorino, cinnamon, cream, ginger, cardamon, potatoes, mushrooms, shallots, tomatoes and vinegar. Nantes carrots will keep in cool, dry storage for up to a month. Scrub thoroughly when preparing. Never store fruit along with carrots. All fruit expels ethylene gas that is readily absorbed by carrots. Carrots exposed to ethylene turn very bitter making them not suitable for eating.
Geography/History
Both the wild and the cultivated carrots belong to the species Daucus carota. Carrots originated over 5000 years ago in present-day Afghanistan. They were first cultivated as a purple root. Morphological characteristics lead to a division of the cultivated carrot (Daucus carota subsp. sativus) into two botanical varieties: atrorubens and sativus. The variety, atrorubens refers to carrots originating from the East, exhibiting yellow or purple storage roots and poorly indented, grey-green foliage. The variety, sativus refers to carrots originating from the West with characteristically orange, yellow or sometimes white roots, and highly indented, yellow-green foliage. Nantes can be easily identified as a Western variety. It was was developed in the 1850's by Vimorin. It is named after the city of Nantes, the largest and most important city in Brittany, France. Like all carrots, Nantes is a cool season crop that can tolerate temperate climates with average soil temperatures of 60 degrees F.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Nantes Carrots. One
is easiest, three is harder.| Lucullian Delights |
|
Orange and Carrot Salad with Ginger |
| Vanilla Garlic |
|
Orange, Beet, Carrot and Pineapple Juice |
| Weird Combinations |
|
Braised Carrots with Raisins and Pepitas |
Recently Spotted
Someone spotted Nantes Carrots using the Specialty Produce app for iPhone and Android.
Produce Spotting allows you to share your produce discoveries with your neighbors and the world! Is your market carrying green dragon apples? Is a chef doing things with shaved fennel that are out of this world? Pinpoint your location annonymously through the Specialty Produce App and let others know about unique flavors that are around them.
|
Swoon Near San Diego, California, United States About 7 days ago Spotter's comments : Chef at Swoon is making carrot mousse with the Nantes carrots. Amazing taste. |
